Identification of polished gemstones and diamonds has been an industry and consumer priority for as long as they have been recognized as unique and valuable. Many gemstones look similar, even upon close examination. Yet, despite their similarity, the value of similar gemstones may vary by a large amount. Historically, diamonds and gemstones of similar size and characteristics have been identified and distinguished apart using a microscope to plot the location and size of imperfections buried in the diamond crystal or gemstone. Unfortunately, these markers are not typically viewable with the naked eye, and in most circumstances it is not practical to have a microscope available to check the markers to properly identify the diamond. Manufacturers, dealers, merchants and consumers have difficulty distinguishing one gemstone from another. As a result, gemstones with significantly different financial value, not to mention emotional value, can be confused. By the time a mistake is noticed, it can be too late to confirm where the mistake took place. As a result, tracking down the gemstones and correcting any mistake can be a difficult or virtually impossible task.
Yet, gemstones are transferred between parties for a variety of reasons. A dealer or retail merchant may transfer a gemstone to another dealer or retailer so that they can show the gemstone to a potential buyer or buyers at different stores or in many different locations. Transfers also occur when a gemstone is mounted in jewelry, and even after a sale when the jewelry is repaired. Consumers are particularly vulnerable because they lack the knowledge and equipment to identify the gems in their jewelry. Still, there is no economical and quick way to identify and confirm that the gemstone being returned from one party is the same as the gemstone given to that party. As a result, companies and people must trust the others that handle their gemstones throughout the distribution, retail and after market channels. This need for trust creates a good deal of anxiety for the person loaning their diamond or gemstone to another. The need for trust leaves the opportunity for one gemstone to be inadvertently mixed up with another, or even to be fraudulently exchanged with another gemstone of lesser value.
Marking diamonds and other gemstones with permanent means has become common practice in the last decade. This includes laser or focused ion beam engraved marks and serial numbers. For example, a common marking method is to micro engrave an inscription on the girdle of the diamond. The girdle is marked to avoid detracting from the natural beauty of the diamond. The girdle is not typically visible after mounting in a piece of jewelry. This engraving is visible with a standard 10× magnification Loupe commonly employed in jewelry stores and diamond traders. While this type of marking is useful during the distribution or retail sale of gemstones, girdle inscription presents a problem with mounted jewelry as the inscription is not typically viewable on the diamond once it has been mounted in jewelry.
A new revolutionary method of marking a polished diamond was recently developed by Norsam Technologies of Portland, Oregon and licensed to the Diamond Trading Company (DTC) formerly known as De Beers. With this method, a microscopic or nano inscription is etched on the table of the diamond via a focused ion beam. The inscription is of such a small size as to be invisible to the naked eye. The inscription is virtually impossible to read even by a skilled jeweler using a common 10× Loupe used by jewelers because the proper viewing angle is difficult to find and the magnification is insufficient. The individual characters (i.e., letters and/or numbers) forming the identification number have a height of about 300 to 500 microns. The inscription is etched to a depth of about 20 to 80 nanometers. The difficulty in viewing the inscription is accentuated by the translucent nature of the diamond and other gemstones, which allows light to pass through both the roughened area formed by the inscription and the surrounding smooth table of the gemstone. The DTC and others have developed viewing systems employing a high 65× magnification camera and an electronic display screen to view the microscopic inscription. Unfortunately, these systems are expensive, cumbersome and complicated to use, which takes away from the value of the inscription because most retail stores and consumers do not have the necessary equipment, and thus cannot see the inscription.
The present invention is intended to solve these and other problems.